From the first measure, Stwo signals that this remix is going to reconstruct the soundscape of Flume’s “Say It (feat. Tove Lo)”. That doesn’t mean he completely morphs the sense of the original. It still maintains its darker and emotionally forceful sensibility; however, his production takes a very different direction and avoids some of the original’s minor missteps.
In the original, Flume’s production repeats with each iteration of the chorus and risks turning the entire song stale. Stwo, on the other hand, builds and adds layers with each reiteration. It grows and keeps your attention.
While the bass dominates his production, it doesn’t create the beat’s foundation. Rather, the wood block creates a vertex from which the bass expands, reverberates, and fluctuates, carving out a mountainous soundscape. When the bass recedes, the empty space created is felt as the pitched vocal embellishments echo within the void.
Nothing highlights his use of empty space better than the piano melody switch. Paired with only Tove Lo’s echoing calls, it tries to fill the vast expanse left from the otherwise layered production. It creates a sense of isolation and reflects that feeling of being lost. This sensation thereby adds nuances and better imagines the broken relationship described by the lyrics. Stwo’s remix projects aspects of the meaning the original leaves alone.
Stwo’s remix is available for purchase on Flume’s “Say It (feat. Tove Lo)” [Remixes] EP, released by Future Classic.
Saint Audio 